HI,I RECENTLY BOUGHT A USED HOT TUB, IT HAS BEEN FILLED, PLUGGED IN AND TESTED, ALL SEEMS FINE EXCEPT WE HAVE YET TO TRY HEATER. THE CHAP WE BOUGHT IT FROM SAID JUST PLUG IT IN. IT HAS AN ORANGE HOUSEHOLD CABLE WITH PLUG ATTACHED. PROBLEM IS WHEN RUNNING I NOTICED WIRE GOT HOT, SOMEONE SUGGESTED WE WOULD NEED ARMORED CABLE. IS THIS SO ? IT WON'T BE LEFT PLUGGED IN WHEN NOT IN USE. OR WOULD A BREAKER BE GOOD ENOUGH. I WILL GET ELECTRICIAN IF NECESSARY, DON'T WANT ANY DANGER FOR KIDS. CHAP WE BOUGHT FROM SAID HE WAS AN ELECTRICIAN
HOT TUB
- Thread starter evej1
- Start date
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How and where did you plug it in? What is the heater load? What size is the flex?
What is the current rating of the tub?
Do you mean there is one connection for the pump and another for the heater?
what do you mean by "breaker". If you mean a residual current device (RCD) then absolutely you MUST have one of those. And it needs testing, properly. If you want you and your kids to be safe, then get a registered, competent electrician to advise you and get it working.
PS please turn off your CAPS. It is considered like shouting and therefore upsets people, cos we do not like being shouted at.
Do you mean there is one connection for the pump and another for the heater?
what do you mean by "breaker". If you mean a residual current device (RCD) then absolutely you MUST have one of those. And it needs testing, properly. If you want you and your kids to be safe, then get a registered, competent electrician to advise you and get it working.
PS please turn off your CAPS. It is considered like shouting and therefore upsets people, cos we do not like being shouted at.
Tub is pulling more than rated current (need ammeter to check)
or
tub is pulling rated current and wire is too small (need wire sizing table and tub nameplate data)
or
. . .
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Hot tubs do not generally 'plug in' as even small ones typically exceed 13A when the heater is on.
There are also other considerations such as where this plug is located in relation to the tub, the type of earthing arrangement etc.
It simply isn't practical to only connect power when you want to use it.
There are also other considerations such as where this plug is located in relation to the tub, the type of earthing arrangement etc.
Hot tubs take anything from several hours to a full day to heat up from cold. It is therefore inevitable that these things are permanently connected to the supply, and have a very thick insulating lid to keep the heat in when not in use.
It simply isn't practical to only connect power when you want to use it.
There are charlatans out there who do indeed make and sell "hot tubs" with heaters small enough to allow them to be plugged in.
The problem is, of course, that they don't work well.
Eve - what is the water capacity of yours, and is there a plate on it anywhere which says how many watts/kW/KVA/amps the heater draws?
It might make sense if the tub were perfectly insulated. Something that big probably loses ~300w or 1000 BTUs/hr.
My sister-in-law has just bought one (8ft) that is heated fine by a 2kw heater.
How much water is in that?
Do you know what temperature she regards as "just fine"?
Do you know what temperature she regards as "just fine"?
You'll be very rich, if you can invent that!
It's too late for me to work out but whatever is in 8ft diameter by about 2ft deep. The water is about 40 deg.
Pah - are you a man or a mouse?
So about 100 cubic feet = about 2850l (rounded to the nearest 10l).
The specific heat of water is 4.19J/gK, your s-i-l has 2850l and a 2kW heater.
The latter will deliver 7.2MJ/h.
IHNI what the losses are from your s-i-l's tub are, but if we use Porque's figure of 300W, that makes the net input of the heater 1.7kW, i.e. 6.12MJ/hr.
Which will raise the temperature of 2850l of water by 6120000/(4.19 x 2850000)°C per hour.
= 0.51°C per hour.
I believe that a mains water temperature of 10°C is commonly assumed, but lets say that in the summer it gets up to around 15°C?
To take it to 40°C would take just over 2 days - is that what she finds?
She reckons on all day to heat it to temperature with the cover on. Not sure on the ability of the heater once the cover is off!
TWO FEET OF WATER??
This is a hot tub, not a bath! I would want the hot water up to my chin.
This is a hot tub, not a bath! I would want the hot water up to my chin.
Then do a head stand in the tub.
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